ABSTRACT
As a producer, if you have reached this phase in the process, you should be patting yourself on the back. It is a huge achievement to get a project greenlit, meaning all the funds are in place and you have the go-ahead from the buyer to produce the show. You have made it through some of the toughest hurdles and now the fun begins with pre-production. Pre-production is the phase in which the elements that lay down the foundation for the production are assembled. Whether a production goes smoothly or not depends on how the producer procures the key ingredients at this juncture. (See Figure 2-1, The Producer’s Thinking Map, for reference.) The following is a list of all the items necessary in order to begin pre-production:
A final script (for television series, specials, direct-to-video projects,
The series bible (and at least three final scripts for a series) Conceptual artwork An approved budget and schedule (See Chapter 6, ”The Production Plan,” for more information on budgeting and scheduling.)
* A summary of assumptions (See Chapter 6, ”The Production Plan,” for a list of assumptions.) The crew plan (See Chapter 6, “The Production Plan,” for more information on crew plans.)
Now, the producer’s task is to recruit a crew. As the production is geared up for new employees, the producer begins to delegate duties to his or her administrative staff. For producers who have limited resources for a
and approved sequences for features)
support staff, prioritizing their daily goals in accordance with the production’s needs is essential.
